Sky-Corps
The Commonwealth Sky-Corps pilot the fighters, bombers and cargo lifters of the Commonwealth, flying to perform all the duties necessary of an air force. Their main job is to assist the Legionnaires on the ground, mostly by air support and cargo/troop transport, but enemy planes also pose a serious risk to them. War in the air is much different from war on the ground. It's not about how many you can knock out of the air most of the time. 90% of the missions the Sky-Corps fly are to disable the enemy's ability to use their own aircraft before they can launch them, or bombing a supply train or strafing an enemy formation on the ground. Sky-Corps pilots train for several months to gain the expertise needed to handle the planes they fly, and even then accidents happen. To the Cyrans, being able to fly a plane is a skill that is never truly mastered, and it would be good to keep that in mind. The Sky-Corps also believe that merit has nothing to do with seniority or rank, and that even the rawest of recruits can have as much talent as a hardened warrior of the air. Aircraft These planes are the ones normally used by the Commonwealth. Several other variants exist, and older model aircraft are still pressed into service at times, as well as new prototypes. * * ' ' SF-21 "Hound" Fighter: the newest in a line of Vektan fighters, chosen as the Commonwealth standard fighter through a long selection process. The SF-21 uses a swept-back wing design and a long, tubular fuselage to house the engine and save on weight and space. The Hound carries several missiles and light bombs as well as a chaingun assembly, all built for taking down enemy aircraft. A single missile will rip most atmospheric bombers to pieces. * * * ' ' M104 "Bull" Bomber: the Bull is a streamlined heavy jet bomber, made to slam its large ordance into enemy lines. It carries a full complement of eight heavy bombs, and is normally used in a formation to deliver carpet bombing runs to enemy formations below. The Bull was used by Tartarus in the Fourth Justification Conflict to great effect, and can also drop other ordnance such as incendiary bombs and chemical warheads. However, the plane's slow speed and lack of any other weapons put it at great risk to be hit by enemy interceptors, and as such Bulls are usually guarded by Hound fighters. * * * ' VZ-141 "Viper" Ground Attack Craft:' despite the name, the Viper may be the best aircraft in the sky. Developed by a corporation in Kholo, the Viper was made after studying the best aspects of both fighters and bombers. Traditional fighter-bombers were developed with too much ordnance, and as such weren't aerodynamic enough to function as fighters or sturdy enough to act as bombers. In such a manner, it was swiftly outdone by both. But the Viper sits in a category all of its own thanks to the new streamlined body, using the fuselage to house the main engine like the Hound fighter, thus cutting back on weight. The Viper carries several rockets, six light bombs and a disastrous 30mm cannon, all of which can be unloaded with merely four buttons pressed in six seconds. The Viper is a jack of all trades, but still a master of none. * * ' NY-70 "Rhino" Cargo Plane:' the Rhino is an enormous joint-Commonwealth project. The largest fixed wing aircraft on Cyrus, the Rhino can take punishment and deal it out as well in the form of paradropped soldiers and tanks, as well as the occaisonal "daisy cutter" style explosive. The Rhino is capable of carrying tons of supplies as well as several vehicles, and is used to quickly deploy troops to new locations. It has no armaments whatsoever, so care must be taken to ensure it doesn't fall prey to enemy fighters.